Love & Duty
by BonneyQ
Summary: The story of how love and duty can lead a couple to the place where they needed to go but never knew. [AU] [Regency!Gruvia, Plenty GaLe, Mentions of NaLu and Jerza]


**AN: **It's an 'AU' frenzy, somebody: _stop me_! This time the story ended up as a trashy harlequin novel from Regency Time.

_(Gray was raised as a gentleman and Juvia as a Lady, that's why they are acting differently, even as I tried my best to keep them in character.)_

**Massive One-Shot**, just saying, if you want to read it all in one go, take a bathroom break first. Kidding. I hope you enjoy.

I'll probably regret posting this in the morning.

* * *

**Love and Duty**

England, 1818

Juvia Lockser decided that she would _never_ get married a long time ago; not when every year a bunch of young women debut and most of them were young, pretty like a fresh blow of air and with nice dowries. Juvia was twenty-three and ever since she discovered the man whom she was to marry tried to elope with her but didn't even liked her – was only after her money – the young Lady gave up the ridiculous idea of ever getting married; the property would go to some distant cousin after her death, no doubt.

The idea of marriage didn't even occur to her until the moment she was saved by _him_.

Lord of Aisu, Gray Fullbuster, found her carriage almost falling off a cliff on a rainy afternoon after the horse got scared with a loud thunder started to trot back, the carriage with the Lady inside was certain to fall and Juvia was saying her prayers and hoping she could see her parents and Grandmama in heaven when the door opened.

The man was wet, of course, his dark hair glued to his forehead, his eyes were as black as teal. She couldn't remember much else from that moment, because the last think she knew was him telling her that she had to get out and jump to him. Juvia shook her head: she was going to fall down the cliff if she did what was being told, but then, he said: "Trust me. I am not letting you fall."

The Lady had never spoken to him, she never even _saw_ him in her entire life but somehow, she knew that he would catch her.

It wasn't too far from the carriage to safety, but her stupid dress was too puffy, her shoes too slippery. She wondered if women would ever be allowed to wear pants, she could've saved her life on her own.

Deciding to trust him, she jumped the half meter towards the man. She almost got it; if it wasn't for her shoes slipping, she would've been safe; and she would've fallen if the mysterious man hadn't grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.

Juvia could hear the driver yelling something (later she discovered that he had cut the strings to free the horses, letting the carriage fall since the ground was too slippery to pull it back), but her attention was on the man underneath her – the Lady ended up falling on top of him – and she studied his face closely and she found that he was quite handsome, even with the scar over his left eye. His nose was perfectly shaped and even if his lips weren't exactly full matched his features. The eyes were narrow and only made him look exotic. And her body was pressed enough against his to know that he was firmly built even if he had a lean figure.

"Lady Juvia!" Her driver helped her up, breaking the spell. The woman righted her bonnet to try her best to look presentable as the mysterious man got up from the ground. The rain still poured around them and they had to yell to be heard. "Are you alright? I am sorry, milady, but I couldn't get to you; I tried to calm the horses so it wouldn't panic once more and…"

"It is alright, James." The woman guaranteed and turned to the second man. "I am in your debt, Mister…?"

"Count Gray Fullbuster, Milady." The man bowed gracefully. "I am glad to be of assistance. I was just passing through, going to Yuki Estate to visit my cousin when I saw your driver trying to contain the horses."

"I am Lady Juvia Lockser, Baroness of Ame" she said with sincerity and courtesy the best she could with her legs still shaking from the scare "and I would be dead if it weren't for you, Lord Gray. Thank you."

"You are welcome." The dark haired man nodded. "Now we need to get you somewhere warm, dry and give you a bit of whisky to warm you up."

"Ame Estate is not too far away." The woman informed him. "Maybe you should stay there for the night; Yuki Estate is located next to it." She never asked anyone to stay in her house, she had been living alone ever since Grandmama passed away (God rest her soul) five years ago and she never had too many friends or family to visit, so, she lived a secluded life. And to invite a man to stay at the House alone, what would Grandmama say? (She would probably say: '_Only a wanton unmarried woman stays alone with an also unmarried man, Juvia_.')

"I do have to decline the invitation, Lady Juvia; my cousin waits for me at his house today." Gray saw the man called James bring the horses closer to them. "I will, though, escort you home alongside your driver to make sure that you arrive safely and to assist in case some another misfortune falls."

"Thank you." She blushed and for the first in time in years wondered about her appearance. Ever since Grandmama died Juvia wore dark dresses showing close to nothing and she wondered if Lord Gray noticed her lack of fashion.

After showing surprise that she was going to ride back to her house, the trio faced the rain and finally arrived at Ame Estate after fifteen minutes. Juvia invited him to stay once again – she had male clothes his size inside – but he denied the request, but assured her that he would return the next day to check on her wellbeing.

She stood on her porch, staring at him riding away while her maids tried to rush her inside. Lady Juvia Lockser almost died not even half an hour before and all she could think was that she had nothing of the current fashion to wear the next day.

**#**

True to his word, Mr. Gray Fullbuster appeared after lunch to check on her, like the gentleman she knew he was (how did she even know this? She just met him the day before!). They met outside her house, she wore the best dress she had – dark blue, long sleeved and with a turtle neck, for the first time in years she regretted not keeping up with fashion and only having mourning dresses – her hair with curls by the end (she knew it was unusual, but it was the way Grandmama preferred her hair). If Gray thought it was strange, he didn't show.

The man asked her how she was and the Lady blushed, her heart beating faster by the second – not even the man she was engaged with made her feel that way, why could Mr. Fullbuster arise such things on her? – she asked about his cousin and the reason for his arrival in Magnolia.

"My niece is sixteen now and my cousin will throw her a Ball in three weeks for her debut. I was invited to stay at the Yuki Estate with them." Gray said, his arms crossed behind his back as they walked around Juvia's house. "One night there, though, and I am already going crazy. Now I know why I like my house up North so much." Juvia chuckled with his words and the man smiled; it had been years since a person she only knew for a day made her smile. "Even so, I must return. I have a few business letters to write."

"I understand." The Lady nodded. "If you ever need a break from your cousin or niece, you could come here." Grandmama's voice inside her head was yelling _'Juvia Lockser, you awful girl'_. "It's peaceful around here." They returned to in front of the house, where a valet was waiting with the Lord's horse.

"Thank you." He smiled and nodded. "Miss Lockser."

"Lord Gray." She curtsied and saw him ride off her view once again. The Lady sighed, wondering if she would see him again. She really wanted to – it seemed since the day before, her life changed from the dark she was living for the past seven years and reintroducing her to the light with just a couple visits, what else could he do?

**#**

Lady Juvia Lockser's only hobby, besides taking care of her garden, was riding her horse. Keeping a horse was a luxury she gladly spent her money on. It was even better when, past a week after her accident with the carriage, she saw him riding in her lands. They rode together for an hour, her valet right after them.

He told her that even though he loved his niece, Meredy was driving him crazy by asking him many times a day about the new fashion up north, or if the dress she chose that day was cute and what he thought about ribbons on her hair.

"Drives me _barmy_ after being asked about it three hundred times, _that_'s what I think about ribbons." He scowled and Juvia laughed.

"The next time she asks, just tell her that she looks pretty with whatever she chooses." The woman suggested. "Most of girls don't really want a man to tell anything else other than: 'You look pretty'."

"Why keep asking, then? I told her she the green one was nice." He was confused and the valet behind them chuckled alongside with Juvia. The Lord looked to the woman next to him and then over his shoulder. "What?"

"Sorry, Sir." The valet cleared his throat. "It's just that I can see that you are not married or with daughters."

"Not for long." The Lord said and Juvia wondered if he was in the market to find a wife. He had told her he was only twenty-six and most men only bothered to begin to search for marriage by the age of thirty. Maybe he could choose _her_? (_What are you talking about, Juvia Lockser? You promised yourself _never_ to wed, remember?_) "I need to return now and you too; it's getting darker."

"Of course." Juvia smiled. "It was a pleasure, Lord Gray."

"You too, Lady Juvia." Gray nodded and watched as she left with the valet right next to her before turning around and leave to his cousin's Estate.

Three days later, they met once again and by then Juvia realized that he rode every day by the same time. Not to look too obvious about her intentions of seeing him, she kept her schedule of riding twice a week, always by the time she knew he would be there. Not that she was stalking him or anything.

Lord Gray was always pleasant and talked about the friends that were arriving in a few days for the party and she shared a bit about her Grandmama. Both had in common the loss of their parents in an early age and needed to go live with relatives, him with his aunt when he was eight and her with her grandmother when she was five.

They met four times in three weeks Gray spent at his cousin's house and at every encounter, Juvia could feel a little piece of herself getting happier and happier. Maybe it was fair to say that he saved her life that first time they met and kept doing it. Those three weeks had been the happiest she had been for a long time.

When the invitation for Meredy Milkovich's debut party arrived at her house (the invitations always arrived, she was a rich and a Lady, and people were always inviting her to parties, even if she never made it) she grabbed the letter from the maid's hand and started to jump happily in a very unlady-like manner and she didn't even care, then, she stopped on her tracks when she realized that if she was to go to the party, she couldn't very well appear in her dark gloomy clothes!

"Miriam, call for the dressmaker, tell her to bring the current designs and samples of materials." The Lady told the maid. "Oh, and send for Mrs. Levy, yes? I have no idea what to choose even if I see it."

"Yes, Miss." The blonde maid curtsied and left.

It wasn't too long before the petite blue haired woman arrived at Juvia's house. She was the wife of her best friend, Gajeel Redfox, who also worked on the stables and anywhere else the property needs. He was a Lord's bastard with a maid, Metalicana Redfox, from down south. When his mother died, he left the man's Estate and decided to travel. He was robbing the Ame Estate kitchen when Lady Juvia, young and only fifteen years old, entered the premises and offered him a room to sleep and a job the next day (against Grandmama's wishes, but in the end she loved him like a grandson). Gajeel asked her why she had done it, Juvia answered: "You were starving. You could have stolen something, but instead, you wanted food. What else could Juvia do other than offer you shelter like a good Christian?"

After that, Gajeel swore to always be there for her. When she discovered about Bora trying to take advantage of her money, he almost went after the man to beat him up; she begged not to and only her cries stopped him of storming off.

When he got married, she never felt happier for him. Their marriage was _very_ gossiped about in their little town, though. Levy Redfox (née McGarden) was a novice in a convent not too long before marrying her husband. She was the middle child of a reasonably wealthy family but decided to take be a nun at the age of fourteen. She never even debuted, her mind was already made and her parents accepted the idea.

One day though, eight years later, the youngest bastard of a Lord appeared at the convent, beaten by road bandits – after traveling to work an errand for Lady Juvia – and needed assistance. The nuns accepted him there until he was recovered. Levy worked at the infirmary at the time and took care of the rude man with kindness, even when he refused the help.

Neither saw it coming, but her kindness melted the iron walls around his heart, while his fierceness made her take a decision to leave the convent to be with him; because while none of them was looking, they fell in love.

The nuns were shocked – Levy McGarden was one month away from taking the permanent vows of nunnery and she ran away with some Lord's bastard who had no name or money to support them? Scandalous!

They got married a week after leaving the convent – they rode to Ame Estate without stopping it so the Lockser name could protect them both in case there were problems –, with only Juvia, the Priest, the cleaner lady from the Church and the clergyman as witnesses and in the middle of the night. The marriage was legal in both the law of men and God's.

Juvia never saw a happier couple. Her softness contrasted with his hardness, but she didn't seem to mind some harsh responses she received because it was who he was and treated him with tenderness just the same and the Lady could clearly see the love her friend had for his wife. It was surprising to see him married and happy that way after the life he had, but she was glad for them.

The Lady offered them a cottage in her property; it was simple and wasn't much, but the couple didn't seem to mind, thanking her for the kindness. Against Gajeel's will, though, Levy started to work on a bookstore as a cleaning lady but soon was employed as a seller (the truth was that she knew more about the books than the owner). Gajeel didn't like to have her working – it was his duty to provide for her – but couldn't deny that if he had to stay inside their cottage the whole day cleaning and cooking, he would be crazy, so, he approved her work.

That had been three years before. Levy was now the only female friend she had and the only outsider – besides Gray Fullbuster – recently introduced to her life.

Mrs. Redfox had recently discovered that she was expecting the couple's first child, the pregnancy was half way through. Juvia also given up on children when she gave up on marriage (of course) and knew nothing short of the basic about it, but she already loved the newest member of their unusual family.

Levy listened patiently as Lady Juvia Lockser, the woman who barely smiled or showed any emotion, looked like a fifteen year old handling a first crush.

When the dressmaker arrived, she was thrilled that Levy Redfox was there and that Lady Juvia wasn't opposing the petite woman's suggestions – Mrs. Redfox even suggested that Lady Juvia ordered a couple of more dresses just in case and the Baroness agreed, thankfully. She had been making the Lady's dresses since she was a child and her taste for dark colored dresses never pleased the dressmaker, Juvia was a beautiful woman and mourning clothes didn't do much for her lovely figure.

"I don't even know the new dances. What if there's dancing?"

"It will most likely have dancing." Levy informed the woman calmly while the dressmaker measured the Lady – she hadn't ordered a dress in a while and needed new measurements – and the former novice saw her husband's friend get even more nervous.

"Juvia was always awful at dancing. Grandmama always complained about it." The Lady bit her lower lip. "Juvia hadn't been in a party for so long. Maybe it's not the time to come back."

"Miss Juvia, you are besotted with him, it is understandable that you feel nervous." Mrs. Redfox said to her. "You have been inside this house ever since that awful man tried to elope with you to get your money. Maybe it is time to return to society. You are only twenty three." The petite woman touched the Lady's elbow to gain her attention. "Just remember that Lord Fullbuster can reject the idea of getting married with you or get married at all. If things do not work out between you and Lord Fullbuster, you can still find a husband and be happy. You can even decide not to get married at all, but to stay inside this house is not the answer." The former novice smiled softly. "Going to that party is the right thing to do for you."

Juvia hesitated. "People will stare at me. People will talk."

Levy sighed, recalling how much people talked about her own marriage. "They do little else, Miss Juvia. They do little else."

**#**

By the day of the party, Juvia was even more nervous than she thought she would be and the preparations for it began early, but it paid off. Her dress was plain white – she knew that the neckline was far from being indecent, but after so long of wearing conservative clothes, it felt weird, the dress only had a light blue ribbon on it; her gloves were also white. Her hair was in a side chignon bun, and despite the fashion dictate that she should curl her bangs, she chose not to. Looking to herself in front of the mirror, she was surprised about her appearance; she looked so pretty she almost cried.

She had missed that, the excitement to be ready to get out and expect a night of fun and dancing, to be surrounded by people talking and laughing; especially after being alone for so long.

Yuki Estate was slightly bigger than her own and she only went there one time when she was a child and decided that she was running away from home; but it was closed at the time.

When she exited the rented carriage, Lady Lockser could hear people whispering and, like she knew very much how to ignore and keep the façade Grandmama always taught her to when people looked at her the wrong way.

Panic started to fill her mind when she saw no one she recognized – the downside of staying too long away from society was that most people she knew

'_Look, is that Juvia Lockser, Baroness of Ame?_' Said woman heard some people whisper. '_I heard she hadn't left her house in ten years._'

Even with her shields up, Juvia wondered how long she would stay there with all of them gossiping around her. Maybe she was wrong to come. Maybe the invitation was more of a courtesy than people wanting her there. Maybe…

Her thoughts became fuzzy when she saw him, standing at the opposite side of the Ballroom, stood Lord Gray Fullbuster – as handsome as ever with his party clothes – and the only thing that stopped her to go straight to him was the woman who had her arm intertwined with him.

She was blonde, big brown eyes and, lean body and with a nice figure, plus, she very beautiful and was laughing about something Gray told her (with that beautiful smile Juvia had seen a couple of times during their encounters). That woman was his fiancée. He did say that he was without a wife for not too long.

How stupid she had been? Why would he even look at her? Silly girl, buying a new dress, doing her hair and pretending her life could change.

With tears blurring her vision, the blunette turns around to leave, hoping that the gossipers won't see her to not heighten their pleasure to see her suffering. She goes to the back of the house, holding her tears the best she could.

Cold wind hit her and the Lady sighed, a stray tear falling from her eye and she immediately dried it, knowing very well that if she started, it would take a while for her to stop.

By her peripheral vision, she saw someone move and noticed a young girl; pink hair loose and with a white dress that looked a lot like Juvia's. She was crying a bit and Juvia walked towards her, even if inside she was hurt.

"Are you alright?" The Baroness asked the girl, who jumped, taken by surprised with the woman's presence. "Sorry."

"It's alright, I wasn't aware that someone was here." She dried her tears and now standing closer to the girl, she could see the beautiful green eyes she had.

"Are you alright?" Juvia asked again and the girl hesitated, but shook her head lightly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The girl hesitated again, but answered anyway. "My cousin is throwing this Ball for me, but… I don't know most the people he invited. I… I don't even know if they will like me. I never even danced in public."

Juvia realized then that the young girl was Lord Gray's niece, Meredy. "Well, I am sure that you have been practicing a lot to get it right, am I correct?" The girl nodded and the blue haired woman smiled softly. "Someone trained with you?"

"Uncle Gray and Uncle Lyon." The girl offered Juvia a ghost of a smile. "They are very good at dancing."

The Baroness nodded with a smile of her own, imagining Lord Gray dancing with his niece over and over again until he couldn't anymore (_Stop thinking about him, Juvia, he's engaged!_) – her eyes watered but blinked them away. "There you go. You know the steps and you practiced very hard. And about you not knowing the people in the party… This is why you are having it: to meet new friends. I saw some very handsome young men inside who will be delighted to dance with you."

"Are you sure?" The girl asked.

"Of course. A pretty girl like you? Your dance card will be full before your first dance is over." Juvia told her. "I was nervous during my first Ball too." The Baroness whispered in a conspiratorially tone. "And it ended being one of the best nights of my life. You will have fun if you just go inside and give it a chance."

The girl nodded. "I will try."

"Now come here." The pink haired girl stepped closer to the Baroness, who gave the younger a hug – Juvia herself needed a hug too. "There you go, darling. Now get inside and go have fun."

"Thank you." The girl said. "I don't even know your name."

"Oh, right." Juvia blinked, confused. "I am Lady Juvia Lockser, Baroness of Ame."

"I am Meredy Milkovich." She said with a big smile. "Why were you out here, Lady Juvia?" Meredy looked at the older woman's face better. "You were crying too."

The blue haired woman hesitated. "I saw something that upset me, but talking with you made me feel better, don't worry."

"Alright." Meredy nodded. "Now come on, let's get inside."

"Actually, I was thinking of… um… going home."

"Nonsense." The girl grabbed the woman's hand. "You convinced me to go inside and now you will go inside with me."

Before the Baroness could say another word, Meredy pulled the woman back to the Ballroom, where people stared and wondered why the debutant was with a woman who lived secluded from the world for years.

"They are staring." Meredy whispered to Juvia.

"Don't let them know that you are feeling uneasy." The Lady told the girl with an expressionless face. "If you do, they get worse. So, raise your chin and pretend they don't bother you." Meredy nodded and did what she was told until a young man, approached them. He was handsome, Juvia supposed, if bright curly blonde hair, pointy chin, high cheekbones and blue eyes were what Meredy liked.

"Mi-Miss Meredy, I-I am D-Drew McMillan." He said nervously, stuttering and bowing with respect. "Wo-Would you sa-save a da-da-dance for m-me?"

"I…" Meredy looked up to Juvia, who smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mr. McMillan. I would be delighted."

"Oh, listen." Lady Juvia said, gaining the attention of the younger couple. "A song is starting. You two should go dance right now." The boy seemed delighted with it and Meredy looked nervous. "Don't worry." The blunette reassured the younger. "You practiced."

"If it makes you f-feel be-better, Mi-Miss Meredy, I wi-will probably step on your toes." Mr. McMillan told her while offering the younger woman his hand and a smile.

"Mr. McMillan, we might hit off." Meredy giggled and accepted the young man's hand. While she was leaving, the pink haired girl looked over her shoulder and mouthed 'thank you', to which the Baroness smiled.

Juvia watched as they started to dance, the girl with a big smile on her face. Maybe she was right to come to the party, but it was time to go home. She couldn't see Lord Gray once again with his fiancée.

Fate, though, had its own plans.

When the Baroness turned around, the couple she was trying her best to ignore was standing right behind her; and the blonde woman seemed even prettier up close, damn her.

"Lady Lockser." Lord Gray acknowledged her with a small smile. "Glad to see you here."

The woman in question blinked in shock for a moment before curtsying to them. "Lord Fullbuster." She looked towards the blonde woman and back to him.

"Oh, yes." Gray nodded. "This is Lady Lucy Dragneel, a friend of mine." The blonde woman smiled and curtsied.

Juvia frowned. "A friend? Isn't she your fiancée?"

"My fiancée?" Gray frowned back at her. "Why would you think that?"

"Juvia just assumed that when she saw you two…" Her eyes wandered to where their arms were linked.

"My _husband_ is upstairs; our son wakes up around this hour every night." Lucy explained, with a knowing smile, to the blue haired woman. "Natsu likes to put Ignacio back to sleep himself, so Gray here is keeping me company while my husband is absent."

"Oh." The blunette blushed, knowing how silly she had been. She cleared her throat and tried to divert the subject. "How old is your son, Lady Lucy?"

"Eight months old." The blonde said in a soft voice. "Natsu and I had been married for just a year when we found out."

"My friend's wife is expecting." Juvia told the other Lady.

"Is that so?" Lucy asked politely. "Is she here tonight?"

"No. She's not from… society and neither is her husband." The Baroness informed the other woman. "Her name is Levy Redfox."

Lady Lucy's eyes perked when she heard the name. "Levy? Was her name Levy McGarden before she married?"

"Yes, it was." Juvia frowned and stared at Gray, but he just shrugged in response. "Why? Do you know her?"

"She was my best friend until we were sixteen." The blonde said. "We lost contact when she went to the convent, though. I heard she got married, but I didn't know where she lived now, her family cut contact with her ever since."

"She lives in my property with her husband, Gajeel Redfox." The Baroness informed Lucy. "I think that she would love to see you again. Come by my house and I will take you there."

"I can't believe that this is what women talk to each other." The man mumbled and Lucy chuckled.

"Don't fret, Gray." Lucy told him. "I see that my husband just returned to the Ballroom and I am going to join him. You two should go dance." The blonde took Juvia's hand and put over to Gray's. She winked to Juvia and then turned to face Gray. "There you go, have fun."

They saw the woman leave and meet another man, slightly shorter than Gray and with pink hair. He kissed his wife's cheek and offered his arm.

Lord Gray cleared his throat and Juvia's attention returned to him. "May I have this dance, Lady Juvia?"

The woman smiled. "Yes. Yes, you may."

**#**

Juvia arrived home with a huge smile on her face: she danced with Gray three times, his cousin too (that man was _definitely_ besotted with her), and a couple of other men, and she met Lord Gray's friends Lucy and Natsu – the man was mainly rude, but with a good heart and reminded Juvia of Gajeel –; Lady Lucy told Juvia that she married for love even if Natsu didn't have a prominent name, she fell in love with him.

Luckily for them, the law allowed her to marry at the age of twenty-one. The day after her birthday, they got married. Lucy's father was furious but since the girl got pregnant and gave him a grandson, he treated Mr. Natsu as a son.

Dancing with Lord Gray had been the best moment of her life to date; he even smiled at her a couple of times. It all seemed like a dream she never wanted to wake up from.

She went to bed smiling like she never did before.

Two days after the party, Lady Lucy and Meredy appeared on her house and Juvia lead them to the cottage Levy lived with her husband. The reunion between the two old friends had many tears shed by them while Meredy stayed with Juvia a few meters away.

"Did you like your Ball?" Juvia asked the younger girl.

"Yes. I danced and danced and danced. The gentlemen were very handsome and polite." She giggled. "And I saw that you had fun also; danced with my uncles all night long."

The Baroness blushed. "They were very polite to dance with me."

"I saw the way you stare to one of them in particular." Meredy's green eyes were full of mischief. "Uncle Lyon liked you very much, but Uncle Gray is the one searching for a wife this season."

"Is he?" The older woman pretended to be uninterested.

"Yes." Meredy smirked and then it disappeared, Juvia wondered why until the girl continued to speak. "Why were you crying last night?"

The blue haired Lady took a moment to answer, choosing to tell her the truth. "I saw your Uncle Gray with Lady Lucy and I thought she was his fiancée. It broke my heart."

Miss Meredy nodded. "Understandable mistake, though: he has to get married and have a child by the age of twenty-eight otherwise his property goes to someone else."

"Is that so?" Juvia was surprised about the reasons behind why Lord Gray was in search for wife.

"Yes. But he says he won't marry just any girl." Meredy gave the Lady a pointed look. "He doesn't believe in silly things like love, but he won't marry someone he despises either." The girl smiled. "The only woman I have ever seen my Uncle dance with for more than one time was me. I would like to call you _Aunt_."

"Me too." Juvia answered dreamily. "Me too."

**#**

Three days later she was surprised when Lord Gray arrived at her home after lunch, nervous, anxious and with a bouquet of roses in hands, that he handed to her with his face red in embarrassment – Meredy was probably the one who told him to bring her flowers, she guessed. She welcomed him and when both were at the study – a maid with them, because it was improper for an unmarried couple to be alone – he blurted the question and Juvia almost chocked on her tea.

"It is my duty." Gray informed her. "I am the last Fullbuster and I need to have an heir. My grandfather specifically told me that I need to be married and with a son or daughter by the time I am twenty eight otherwise the estate goes to a distant relative. Some couples take a long time to conceive and I will be of age in two years… As much as I don't want to get married, my father loved that place as much as I do and I don't want to lose it."

"Why… me?" Not that she was complaining, on the contrary, inside she was screaming in excitement.

"Those girls, they are just… not right and way too young. You, on the other hand… you became my friend during the time I was here. You are a little too enthusiastic sometimes" Gray smiled and the woman blushed "but once my father told me that friendship is the base of a good marriage. Plus, I _felt_ it that you would be a good wife."

"What about love?" The woman bit her lower lip.

He took a moment to answer. "I believe that friendship is more solid than love."

"Friendship is a kind of love."

"I guess it is." He shrugged. "Listen, I am _not_ after your money and yes, I know you are an heiress, but I have money of my own – more than the amount I need – and I won't touch yours. You can spend it all in dresses or save it for the children we will have."

"Chi-chil-" Juvia whispered; the idea of children dropped from her mind ages ago, but now that he talked about it… They would make _very_ beautiful babies. The idea of having _his_ child, a baby that looked a lot like him warmed her heart. She wanted a family, after all. Just like she wanted to marry; but she didn't just want to get married: she wanted to marry _him_.

"Plus, I know that if you do not have children of your own, Ame Estate alongside with the title will go a distant relative you never even spoke to. If we get married, both of our Estates will be heritage of our direct descendants." He waited for her answer, but her mind seemed to not want to cooperate with her that afternoon. "I know it's sudden, but I was raised to believe in what my gut is telling me and it is saying that I should marry you and I do believe that you feel something for me, isn't it right?" Not trying to hide it and not really seeing the point of it, the woman nodded. "I will try my best to be a good husband, I will not cheat, I will treat you with respect, I will give you attention and support and I will be your friend whenever you need me. I can't promise that people will write songs about us, or write sonnets about our lives, but I can give you a good life and I think you can do the same for me.

"If you need more time to think about it, it is alright for me to come again when you have your answer." Lord Gray got up from the sofa. "Send me a note if you want me to return, Lady Juvia."

The blue haired woman nodded and saw him bow towards her before leaving the room.

What was she doing? Why didn't she say yes right away? Did it feel wrong to being proposed that way? This was not how Juvia expected to be.

When Bora asked her to marry him, behind the stable and hidden from Grandmama, he had kissed her and told her that he loved her so much that they should elope to get married. She had been so under his spell that she had said yes, just for Gajeel to beat the truth out of him; that he only wanted the money of her dowry and her fortune.

Gray, on the other hand, was being completely honest with her: he didn't love her, she was his friend and they would be helping each other keep their properties and to have company as they grew older. Juvia was in love with him, that she couldn't deny and at that point, he had opened too much of her heart for her to be secluded once again that if she was to be alone, she would certainly die.

She was not a child anymore, she couldn't pretend that everything in her life would be exactly like she wanted it to be, on the contrary: the odds were that things would only get messier and messier by the second, but that proposal was probably God's way of giving her a chance if happiness.

There was no doubt that she loved him, as silly and short as their encounters had been: the heart wants what the heart wants and her heart wanted him even if he was almost certainly settling for her. She had nothing to lose, had she? The man had the title of Count, a higher hank than hers and he had his own properties and money, surely wasn't after hers and between all the girls he met, Lord Gray Fullbuster chose her, no matter what reason.

Lady Juvia Lockser always dreamt of marrying for love, she just never expected to be the only one actually _in_ love.

It didn't matter, if she accepted his proposal, she would have a lifetime to make him fall in love with her. The strong willed spirit that was dormant inside her approved that idea, Juvia had been too much of a quitter for the past years and it was time to get her life back.

Before she could process what was happening, she was running towards the main door, opening it and running to the porch. Lord Gray had just started riding his horse at the direction of his cousin's house when the Baroness did a very unlady thing and yelled: "Lord Gray!" When he didn't listen, she yelled again. He stopped his horse and turned around, confused. With a smile, Juvia yelled again "Yes!"

**#**

The wedding took place two weeks after Lord Gray's proposal and it passed so very fast for the Baroness that she hadn't time to feel nervous about the actual marriage: the day after the wedding they would travel for a month to a property he inherited from his mother's side of the family in the Netherlands – he needed to check on the house and they needed to be alone for a while to get used to each other – and she needed to take care of every bill they had and calculate the amount the staff would need to maintain the Estate while they were gone.

The dressmaker came in the day after the proposal and started to talk about making her a whole wardrobe for her to when she returned from the travel and wanted to make sure the Baroness had enough beautiful dresses as a married woman; and the dressmaker assured the Lady that she and her assistants would work non-stop until four more dresses were ready before the wedding day.

The wedding happened in a Thursday at Caldia Cathedral – she chose the beautiful champagne colored dress the dressmaker made her alongside with the Ball gown – with only a few guests consisting in three members of Lord Gray's family – his cousin Lyon, adopted sister Ultear and niece Meredy – plus his friends Lucy and Natsu Dragneel plus their son and Erza Fernandes, another friend of his who happened to be in town. On Juvia's side, the guests were much thinner, only Levy Redfox and after Gajeel gave her away, he joined his wife and watched the ceremony.

After the vows were exchanged and both said their "I do's" the priest told Lord Gray to kiss the bride, Juvia thought he wouldn't – he had been so proper during the few times they were alone that she wondered if he would kiss her forehead instead of her lips – and was surprised to feel his lips softly on hers. Her heart almost stopped beating for a moment just to start beating like crazy an instant later.

She was now a married woman.

The afternoon was spent at Ame's Estate, where Juvia ordered the maids to prepare a nice feast for their guests. Lady Juvia finally had time to talk to Lady Erza, who informed her that her husband was waiting for her at their home down south in a few days and that she just went to see an old friend, Mirajane Justine, who had just given birth to her second child, a healthy girl she named Annabeth. The red-haired woman also told Juvia that Lady Justine and her husband would love to meet her, since she was also an old friend of Gray's.

After telling their farewells and wishes for a safe trip (the new married couple would leave early the next morning) the guests left and the newlyweds were alone for the first time as a married couple. He offered his arms to her and she took it with a small shy smile. Their life together had just begun.

**#**

When the wedding night was finally there, Juvia was very nervous. She knew the basics of what was about to happen between her and her husband, and what she heard from Grandmama when she was sixteen was that it would be not only awful, but would also hurt; the good part, though, according to Grandmama was that Juvia would probably get pregnant after a couple of months of letting her husband do it to her and her grandmother guaranteed her that she would love her baby more than anything in her life.

The now Countess was standing in the middle of her bedroom wearing only her simple nightgown underneath a robe; her hair was down as she walked around the room, nervous. When she heard the joint door open, the woman tensed a little and turned around to face her husband.

He only wore his pants and shirt – which was opened, showing his chest – and stared at her for a moment before closing the door that led to his room behind him. It seemed that he wanted to say something, but when the woman started to open her robe, he watched intently as she let it fall to the floor and even if her body was covered by her nightgown, she still blushed, thinking that she needed to buy better nightwear if she wanted to seduce her husband.

After a moment, her husband finally moved towards her with slow steps and when they were only a few centimeters away from each other, their eyes locked as she looked up to him and he, down to her.

The woman never felt that way before, the anticipation she was feeling was think in the air, her heat beat faster and faster with only his proximity. When he finally leaned in her direction and kissed her lips, Juvia almost jump with the electricity that passed through her body; that kiss wasn't sweet like the one they shared the ceremony, that kiss was something entirely new for her.

Gray must've felt it too, because a moment later he disconnected their lips to stare at her for a few seconds – his black eyes were glowing with something Juvia never seen before – and then put a hand on the back of her neck and pull her close to his body, lips meeting once again in a much hungrier kiss.

Juvia was sure she never felt that way when Bora kissed her; his kisses were too wet and with too much tongue in her opinion (Grandmama never knew that her granddaughter kissed him with more than a peck on the lips, otherwise she would've gone to an earlier grave), but Gray's kiss made her feel her blood turn into fire, made her stomach boil so hard that there was no room for butterflies. She felt her whole body ask for his.

It was new, it was exciting, but it wasn't scary as Grandmama told her it would be.

She only knew they moved towards the bed when she felt it nudge against the back of her knees – her mind was focused elsewhere at the moment, like the way his lips moved against hers and his tongue moved – and felt him lay her down the mattress, his body on hers. They stayed kissing each other for a while, until she felt him move and break the kiss, just to kneel on the bed long enough to take off his shirt, as she observed the way his body moved and how it was shaped – she had seen Gajeel shirtless a few times while he worked outside her property, but her husband's body was much more appealing than Gajeel's, even the scar above his hip was enticing – she really needed to ask him where he got all those scars, but it was conversation for much later, when he wasn't returning to put his weight on her in a delightful way.

To accommodate him better, instinctively she opened her legs and his hips settled there and let out a startled mewl when it felt much better than she expected it would. She felt his hand go under her nightgown to her thigh and caress its way to her bum, bringing her even closer to him.

She gasped and felt the annoying throbbing between her legs to worsen and felt him pull the nightgown up; the woman followed him as he kneeled on the bed and she sat while Gray pulled the nightgown off of her – as impatiently as she felt – and throw it somewhere from over her shoulder.

Gray stared at her body for a moment. Grandmama was wrong after all, Juvia didn't feel scared at all and she really doubted her husband was going to hurt her intentionally.

When he kissed her again, she complied happily. Married life wasn't bad at all.

**#**

The trip to the Netherlands proved to Juvia that she lost precious time locked inside her house when she could've been traveling the world and seeing its wonders. The house Gray inherited was beautiful and with yellow tulips around it, making it one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.

Their relationship was much better after one month living together, Gray talked with her all the time (mostly she did the talking, sharing facts about her life), and she knew much more about him than before. She learned that Ultear was the daughter of his godmother, the woman who raised him after his parents died, and that Lyon was going to court Juvia if Gray hadn't asked her to marry him. She also knew that Lyon was the one responsible for the scar above his eye and Ultear for the one on his hip, but didn't get in detail and Juvia didn't push it; if he wanted to tell her someday, she would listen.

While their days were filled with walks and rides around the property and a nearby town; their nights were passionate and in each other's arms. Apparently, Lord Gray Fullbuster was very eager to provide his line with an heir and his wife didn't complained at all, she learned more and more about intimacy every day and it made her very happy.

When they returned to England, Juvia asked if they could stay a couple of months at Ame Estate until Levy gave birth to hers and Gajeel's child and he agreed, after the baby was born, they would go to Aisu, up north and return to Ame next year to stay during the summer.

Mr. and Mrs. Redfox were living at the house for a while until their child was born, since they lived in a recluse area and it would be too complicated to get either the doctor or the midwife without much of a fuss. One afternoon about a week after the newlywed couple arrived in Magnolia Levy was sitting on the porch drinking tea with Juvia when the Countess broke the comfortable silence they were sharing at the moment.

"Can Juvia ask you something?"

"Of course." Levy replied with a smile.

"Is it normal for women to _like_ intimacy?" The pregnant woman almost chocked on her tea, but the Countess paid no attention and kept talking. "The first times were uncomfortable, it didn't exactly hurt, but it wasn't pleasant either, but after some time… One night, last week, _something_ happened. And then happened the next day, then the next; and again and again."

"Oh, sweetheart." Levy was so red that Juvia worried for a moment. "In my wedding night I was so afraid of what I was told by the nuns at the convent; I was actually half expecting to be torn apart and regret my decision to leave the idea of being a nun. As you said, it was uncomfortable, but not nearly as much as I thought it would be. After a while, though…"

Juvia looked very curious. "You too?"

"Yes." Levy cleared her throat, face red as a tomato. "Lucy confined in me too, she has the same… _problem_ as we do. We think that if you love the man you are being intimate with, you don't mind being with him and even enjoy it."

"He married Juvia for duty." The Lady sighed, sadly.

The former novice smiled. "But _you_ married him for love."

Juvia nodded slowly. "It does feel good, but… later Juvia hears her Grandmama's voice inside her head, telling me what a lewd woman I've become. Women aren't supposed to like it."

Levy took a moment to answer. "The way I see it is: God created men and women to be partners, to love one another. Maybe intimacy with the person you love has a bright side about it and it is that the woman feels good too." Thinking for a moment, the petite woman kept talking. "If everything people say were right… They look my husband the wrong way because he stole me away from the convent and showed me the wanton ways, but that is not how I see it. What _I_ see is how much I would have missed if I stayed at the convent, I would never have felt his love and tenderness, I would never feel my baby kick me" she put a hand over her swollen stomach "and I would never have loved him. God created us all and loves us all; I really don't think He wouldn't love women enough not to make us have something other than children from intimacy."

"It isn't wrong, then?" Juvia asked.

"I don't think so. Otherwise, why would it feel so right?"

**#**

"Lady Juvia." The knock woke up the couple at around two a.m. – Gray had entered her room only a few minutes after his valet left his room, closing the joint door behind him and proceeding to join her in bed where they made love and fell asleep in each other's arms – and the Lord blinked a few times when he felt his wife get away from his grasp. "Lady Juvia?" The voice came again.

"What is happening?" He sat on the bed as he saw her put a sheet around her body.

"I do not know." She walked towards to the door and opened just enough to talk to the person outside. Her husband waited rubbing his face as she talked to the maid who had awoken them. When she closed the door and turned around, he frowned in confusion with the smile on her face. "Levy-san is about to have the baby. Juvia asked to be told when it happened, no matter the time."

"That's nice." Gray yawned. "Have you sent for the doctor?"

"Yes." The Lady walked towards her wardrobe and took an underdress from inside it, dropping the sheet on the floor unceremoniously, and putting it on. "Go back to sleep."

"Where are you going?" Gray got up from the bed, not bothered at all by his state of undress.

"See if Juvia can help in anyway." She chose her simplest and easiest dress to put it on. "Levy-san is a friend and she doesn't want to be alone with the midwife right now. Plus, Gajeel-kun will drive the doctor and the midwife crazy." Gray agreed and got up from the bed and found his pants on the floor and put them on. When he was done, Juvia asked him to tie her dress and he did so. From over her shoulder and while tying her hair up, she said: "You can stay in Juvia's bed, Gray-sama. No need to go to your room."

Traditionally a couple shared two bedrooms with a joint door between them so the husband could visit his wife during the night and sometimes the woman could lock it if her husband offered the key and she didn't want his advances that night. Gray never asked Juvia about the key he knew she had and every night he would slip inside her bedroom and join her in bed, wrapping his arms around her; her husband only used his bedroom to change clothes at that point and the blunette didn't complaint, not when she would fall asleep with his arms around her.

"No, it's fine. I will go with you, actually. I have known Gajeel for a short amount of time, but I think that someone will have to hold him outside and I do not think one of the maids can do it." Gray yawned again. "Let me just get a shirt, alright? You ripped the buttons off of the one I was wearing earlier." He kissed the side of her neck and his wife blushed. "It will take a minute."

She nodded and saw him leave her room to get his shirt and her eyes moved to the one she tear off of him in her desperate need to get him to touch her. Juvia felt much better in getting intimate with her husband after the talk she had with Levy six weeks before. Lord Gray seemed to appreciate her uninhibited eagerness and it helped a lot to give the couple the intimacy they needed.

"Let's go." Juvia heard his voice – she failed to notice him opening the joint door while thinking about their nightly activities. The woman nodded and followed her husband out.

They found Gajeel inside the room he shared with his wife at the house, sitting next to her in bed, their hands intertwined as they expected the doctor. The pregnant woman seemed in pain, scared and excited to become a mother.

When the midwife arrived an hour later and Gajeel was finally thrown out of the room alongside with Gray (who was right to be there, since the taller man was very reluctant to leave and keep him outside once the worse contractions arrived would take much more effort to hold him), but hours later, close to midday Levy Redfox finally gave birth – it was a very unique experience to Juvia to see while holding Levy's hand, but truly a miracle.

After making sure with the doctor that Levy and the baby were fine, Juvia informed the woman that she was going to retrieve Gajeel to let him see them. Levy, who had her baby on her arms, nodded tiredly and agreed, thanking the Countess.

Once she was out the door, clearly nervous Gajeel bombarded her with questions and the woman raised a hand to stop him; when the man finally stopped, she could answer.

"She is fine." Juvia told her friend. "_They_ are both fine."

Gajeel finally nodded and sighed in relief. "What is it?"

"A girl." Juvia offered her friend a huge smile. "I think she will look a lot like you with that much black hair."

"Poor thing." Gajeel laughed and hugged his friend impulsively. "Thanks for being there."

"You are welcome." She kissed his cheek and patted his back. "Now, go see your girls."

Gajeel nodded and entered the room, leaving the newlyweds alone. Juvia put a hand on the back of her neck, massaging it. She was exhausted after spending the whole night awake and trying her best to help Levy out.

"How are you?" Gray asked, stepping close to her.

"Not nearly as tired as Levy-san but really, _really_ tired." She sighed. "The baby is beautiful, though."

"Yeah?" Her husband asked.

"Yes." Juvia smiled when she felt him put an arm around her shoulder and she loved being alone with him because when there were people around, he was never quite amorous. "Makes me want one."

"We will get ours soon enough, we have only been married for a little over two months." He kissed the top of her head. "Now we should go and sleep. That man was driving me crazy by walking around and being obnoxious."

"Thank God he wasn't inside." Juvia sighed in his embrace. "He would have turned mad. Childbirth is only a miracle when the baby is born, since it gives the mother so much pain for so long. But… the way she smiled at her daughter when the midwife put the baby on her arms..."

"From out here, where the men stay hearing the moans of pain and yelling from inside that room, it doesn't seem that much of a miracle. It made me nervous." Gray mumbled and the woman chuckled.

"Let's hope that you change your mind when it's your turn to be the expectant father outside the room."

"We'll see." Juvia saw the ghost of a smile on his lips. "Can we go to bed now? I told the maids that we would take a nap and eat later, is that alright?"

"Yes." She tip toed and kissed his lips. "Let's go."

**#**

A week after Annie Redfox was born, the Count and Countess traveled north, to Aisu Estate. Juvia was nervous to leave her house – she was born, raised and spent all her life there – but it was like changing a page of a book to get to another chapter and it was something she needed to do.

She shed tears when hugging the Redfoxes, telling that if they needed anything, they should write her immediately. After staring at the house for a few moments, she finally entered the carriage alongside with her husband and left the only home she's ever known.

It took a week for them to reach Aisu Estate and it was magnificent, the lands were larger than Ame Estate and the house slightly bigger, but with an structure much different than the one she was used to and it took her a couple of weeks to know all the rooms, but the staff was always so very kind with their new Countess.

Gray usually spent a lot of his time working and Juvia organized the house and liked to work on her newly made garden. When he was too stressed to work, he would take a break and sit on a bench and watch her work and Juvia secretly loved that.

Their routine was pretty much the same until they completed ten months of marriage and Lady Juvia discovered she was carrying their first child. She was so excited that her way of telling her husband the news was barging in his study and throwing herself in his arms as she laughed.

"What is it?" Her husband asked while wrapping his arms around her, looking down to the blue haired woman in confusion.

"I'm pregnant!" She told him and saw as he looked like a fish opening and closing his mouth in disbelief for a long moment. "Well, say something!"

"I… I… I…" He stammered for a few seconds before offering his wife the biggest smile she's ever seen him give before picking her up from the floor by her waist and spun her around as she laughed in delight. Once Gray put her down, he looked worried. "Sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"No, it's fine." She giggled and put her hands on his cheeks tenderly and kissed his lips. "Are you happy?"

"I'm happy." Gray told her with a soft expression. "I am very happy."

"Good." Juvia whispered. "Because I am _very_ happy too."

**#**

Seven months later when they were returning from a dinner with their neighbors Evergreen and Elfman Strauss, newlyweds and moved close to a house close to the Fullbusters – Gray had known the Strauss' siblings since they were children and loved them like they were family and in a way they were. Juvia met the eldest one: Mirajane and her husband Freed Justine plus their children Jonathan and Annabeth; and the youngest one, Lisanna, who lived with her sister, a couple of months before and they were always very pleasant, treated the Countess with fondness, like they have always known her.

When they entered their home, Juvia asked if her husband thought Mrs. Strauss would think that she was too large wearing that blue dress. Used to her asking about her appearance ever since her baby bump started to show, Lord Gray merely nodded as he helped her up the stairs.

"You look pretty with whichever you chose to wear."

The Lady narrowed her eyes. "Don't even, Juvia taught you that trick. I just want to know if they thought I was enormous."

"Juvia, you are pregnant." Gray had an arm around her waist and the other hand holding hers as they went upstairs to their bedroom when she hissed in pain and they stopped in the middle of the stairwell. "What is it? Are you alright?"

The Countess let out a deep breath. "I… I think it's time."

"Time?" The man asked dumbly.

"_Baby_ time." His wife clarified and the Count took a moment to understand that she was about to give birth.

"Oh." Gray looked down to her covered stomach as if he expected to see their child already out and waving at him. "Right now?"

"Yes." She answered and when her husband just kept staring at her stomach, she had to tell him that she needed to go to their bedroom so she could prepare herself and that he needed to call the doctor. "Help me up?"

"What? Oh, yes. Yes." The man nodded and did what he was told and even when he called for a maid to assist, he was the one who helped his wife take off the dress, letting her wearing only the underdress and then helped her lie down on the bed he shared with her and sat on a chair by the bed's side with his hand on hers and trying to comfort her.

An hour later, when the doctor arrived and Gray was kicked out of the room, Juvia could see that he was very reluctant to leave but with the nurse pushing him away, he had no other choice but to leave.

She went through imaginable pain; she cried and groaned for hours as the waves of pain hit her over and over again for hours, during the whole night, but when the sun was up, the couple had a baby in their arms. When Gray entered the room after she gave birth, Juvia saw his hesitance to approach, but the smile on his wife's lips and the bundle on her arms made him rush to her side.

"Are you alright?" He asked and Juvia nodded and then both looked down to the child. "How about him? Is he…?" The doctor informed about the child's gender when he left the room.

"He is perfect." The Lady looked up to him, tears in her eyes; she couldn't believe of how much love only one person could feel for another who had been in the world for less than half an hour. Their son was perfect and the most beautiful thin she has ever seen.

Juvia had no idea that she had spoken the words out loud when he answered: "I think so too."

**#**

"Daddy!"

"Hey, little man." Gray scooped his giggling son from the ground as soon as he stepped on the garden where his son was with his wife. The boy was two years old and looked a lot like his father and with his mum's hair. "What are you and your mother doing?"

"Bob. Bath." The boy answered. Bob was the dog – a red cocker spaniel – Gray and Juvia gave to his son on his first birthday, the boy couldn't say 'dog' the right way and ended up saying 'Bob' instead, so they named the puppy that way.

"Yes?" The Lord asked and the boy nodded. "Was he dirty?"

"Bob dirty. Needed bath."

"That's right. Did you help your mother or let her do it all by herself?" Gray pretended to give him a hard look.

The boy gasped. "Ulrich help. Right, Mummy?"

"That's right, love." Juvia got up from the ground with a groan and when Gray stepped towards her to help; she raised a hand to tell him she was alright. With her other hand she covered her growing stomach, their second child growing inside her much to her happiness and Gray's worries – he said that waiting for her to give birth and hearing her agony was awful and that he finally understood why Gajeel was so unsettled when Levy was having Annie. "He deserves a treat after dinner for helping. How about an extra cookie?"

"Yay!" The boy clapped his hands in delight and his father laughed. "Cookie!"

"But only after you take your bath and have dinner, alright?" Juvia stepped closer to her husband and son. "Go find Georgie and ask her to prepare your bath. Mummy will be right up to see you, alright?"

"Yes, Mummy." The boy wriggled until his father put him on the ground. "Geooooorgie!" Ulrich yelled as he ran towards the house – even though his nanny wasn't in earshot – and kept yelling until he was inside, Bob following behind him, barking in excitement.

"At least he isn't running around naked." Gray sighed.

"This time." The Lady giggled and felt his husband put an arm around her shoulders and then other over her stomach. "Juvia is fine and so is the baby."

"I know." Gray guaranteed her. "But you are too far along to be giving Bob his baths. In a couple of weeks you won't be able to give Ulrich his baths. Next time, ask for a maid to do it, please?"

"Alright. Spending time on my knees with an excited toddler and a reluctant dog that doesn't want to take a bath is tiring Juvia." She answered with a sigh and cuddling against her husband. The baby moved and she felt Gray move his hand over her stomach to feel their unborn child better. "This one moves much more than Ulrich did."

"God help us if it is more active than him when it is born." Gray chuckled.

"Amen. One troublemaker is enough." Juvia agreed.

**#**

Juvia couldn't remember too much after hearing the baby's cries and when they told her that she had given birth to a girl. She drifted between being unconscious to being awake and it was so very odd.

When she finally woke up for more than a few seconds, she noticed that her hand was wrapped by someone else's. The woman frowned and moaned in discomfort when she tried to move; she felt so much worse than she had when she gave birth to Ulrich.

"Juvia?" Her husband's voice made her eyes focus and stare at him – it looked like he hadn't slept in days. "Can you hear me?"

"How is she?" Her voice was hoarse and she was in pain, but she needed to know about their daughter. "How is Violet?"

"She is fine, she is perfectly healthy." Gray sighed in relief that she was speaking clearly. "She is waiting to meet you."

Juvia hummed in agreement. "What happened?"

"You lost a large amount of blood, got a fever." Gray hesitated, his voice tense. "The doctor said that the probability of you to survive the night was small. The priest is just outside to give your last blessing, for God's sake."

That caught her full attention. "What?"

His hand on hers tightened. "The whole night you were delirious, talking nonsense and asking for Ulrich, as if you wanted to see him one more time before..." Gray chocked, and kissed her knuckles. "You almost died."

"Oh." She replied dumbly.

"No more children, Juvia." Gray told her, tightening his grip on her hand. "Not after tonight. I can't spend another night like the last one. I need you, Ulrich and now Violet need you too." He whispered helplessly. "Please."

"Can we talk about this later?" The blue haired woman asked softly. "Juvia won't be getting pregnant anytime soon; she didn't even saw her baby girl yet. And is Ulrich up yet?"

Her husband smiled at her. "Yes, he is and he is asking for you and this new sister everyone is talking about." The Count stopped for a moment. "She looks like you."

"You can't tell that yet." Juvia chuckled tiredly.

"Of course I can. She has blue hair like you and I bet she will have your eyes too." Gray told her and smiled as he caressed her hand. "The suitors will line up when she's older." He told his wife that he hadn't left the room ever since she started hallucinating, but earlier, the nanny informed about Ulrich and how the boy was confused that his mother didn't go to his room to rake him up.

"Poor love." Juvia sighed. "Could you ask the doctor to bring Violet? Then you should bring him here so he can meet his sister."

"You need to rest and recover your strength." Gray pointed out. "A two year old boy excited with his sister and a newborn baby won't do any good for you to rest."

"Having all of you here will do wonders for my strength, though." His wife said with a sweet smile.

**#**

After six years of marriage, the Fullbusters only had one ugly fight that resulted on him, for the first time, not sleeping next to her that night.

Juvia put Violet on her bed and stared at the small blue haired girl on her nightwear; her husband was right, Violet was almost a perfect copy of her mother from her azure curls – which were now spread on the pillow as the two year old girl slept peacefully – to the fair skin and blue eyes. The only thing the girl picked from her father was the stubborn personality.

The Countess smiled and kissed Violet's cheek before covering her with a sheet and leaving the bedroom to go to her own, where her husband was waiting after tucking Ulrich in – they alternated the nights between their children – and decided to tell him about what she found out earlier that afternoon.

When she entered the bedroom, he was already there, untying his robe when Juvia came in. He offered her a smile. "Ulrich was asleep when his head hit the pillow. I am not surprised after he spent the day playing outside with Violet right behind him as his partner in crime."

"She idolizes him." Juvia smiled, thinking about their daughter being Ulrich's shadow ever since she learned how to walk. "It is sweet."

"He loves it, but pretends he doesn't." Gray chuckled and Juvia followed, she stopped after a moment and her husband frowned. "Is everything alright?"

She hesitated. "I need to talk to you."

"Alright." His frown deepened.

The Lady knew that there would be a fight, but it wasn't something she could hide and it was better have the conversation sooner rather than later otherwise it would get worse.

"I know that we tried _not_ to, that Juvia is taking that herbal tea to prevent it, but…" The woman sighed and put a hand over her stomach and Gray clearly got the message, because he took a step back from her.

"No."

"Gray-s…"

"No!" He said more forcefully and she waited a moment before trying to speak again.

"Even with the herbal tea, it happened, Gray-sama. It's a gift." The Lady said calmly.

"You can die, Juvia. The _child _can die." He said through gritted teeth. "While you were pregnant with Violet, you were fine, but you almost died during childbirth. We know that it would be risky to have a third child and… No. It can't happen."

"Juvia's already pregnant." She said simply. "And I will go through with it."

"You don't understand." Gray started to walk around the room, nervous. "You didn't see yourself after you gave birth to Violet. I almost gave up hope. I was thinking of how I was going to tell Ulrich that his mummy died. And what about Violet? What would tell her while growing up? That she was the reason her mother died?" Juvia tried to speak, but he didn't let her. "The doctor told me that I had to call the priest. I was suffering already, thinking that you were going to die and when you didn't…" He stopped for a moment. "It was a true miracle and I don't think it will happen again. If you have this child, you will most likely die. Do you understand?"

"I do." His wife answered. "But I could never kill a baby we made. Ever."

"What about the children you already have? Huh?" Gray half-yelled at her. "If you die, Ulrich and Violet won't have a mother growing up; plus the new child. Is that what you want?"

"Of course is not what I want!" Juvia yelled right back at him – it was the first time she ever raised her voice to him. "But if it is what is meant to happen…"

"Don't." He interrupted her. "Because it will be easy for you; _dying_ is easy. Do you know what is hard? Outliving the people you love and I don't intend to outlive you."

"What does that even mean?" Juvia asked in exasperation.

"That _I love you_." He yelled and she opened her mouth in disbelief. "I can't lose you because if I do, I will go mad."

"You do? You love me?"

"You didn't know?" He asked and she shook her head slightly, and he let out a humorless laugh. "That's great. I thought you knew already, that's why I never said a word and when I did, I screamed at you for carrying our child. Great. Just… _great_." He sat on their bed and rested his elbows on his legs, burying his face on his hands.

'_He loves me!'_ Juvia thought, surprised and extremely happy. It wasn't the way she expected to find out, but it didn't matter at all. Her husband loved her.

"When?" The Lady asked quietly and sitting by his side.

"What?" Gray didn't even raise his head.

"When did you know that you loved me?" She asked again, her voice steadier than she thought it would be.

The Lord took a moment before raising his head and facing her. "One afternoon when you were taking care of your flowers. It was a few days before you told me you were expecting Ulrich. It was an ordinary day, nothing important happened, we just went on with our days; you looked at me, smiled and I just… knew." Gray shrugged.

It was so simple that he was probably telling the truth. Juvia blinked once, and then one more time before smiling and hugging her husband tight. He _loved_ her. Maybe she already knew, because the news didn't come to her as such a surprise as it should, maybe he acted differently after a while, maybe it was the sweet way he touched her or the way he looked at her when he thought that she wasn't paying attention. It didn't matter, because he had told her. He loved her; for a long time now. "Thank you."

She could almost hear his frown even if she couldn't see it. "Why?"

"Because there's no way that Juvia will die anytime soon now." She caressed his cheek. "And I love you too. Ever since the moment you opened the door of my carriage."

"Really? That long?"

"Oh, you have no idea." She giggled and kissed him.

**#**

Gray had Violet in his arms as Ulrich run around with Bob following behind; Juvia was sitting on her chair, a hand over her stomach and laughed when Bob finally caught up with Ulrich. Violet was two years old and Ulrich, five. Both were very healthy, smart and beautiful. The Countess thought how lucky she was: her family was amazing.

"Mummy! Did you see what Bob did?" Ulrich asked, running towards his mother with a big smile on his lips, the dog jumped on her, but Juvia immediately pushed it away gently before it could accidentally step on her stomach, but caressed Bob's head to his delight.

"I did, love." She saw her husband put Violet on the ground. "Go play with your sister. She wants to play with you and Bob."

Ulrich rolled his eyes exactly like his father and Juvia thought how adorable he was. "Violet is silly, Mummy. She doesn't know how to play with me."

The Countess chuckled. "That's why you need to teach her how to play, sweetheart."

"Oh." Ulrich thought for a moment. "Can she play soldier with me?"

She shrugged. "I can't see why not. Go teach her."

Ulrich ran towards his father and sister while the woman saw Gray walk towards her and sit on his chair by her side. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes." Juvia chuckled. "This one is taking longer than Ulrich and Violet did." His eyes went to her stomach and saw his lips in a thin line; he had been reluctant during that pregnancy, always telling her to rest and eat and he didn't put his hand on her stomach like he did during the other pregnancies – when they were in bed and he was sleeping, he would put his hand over the bulge lovingly. He was worried she would die alongside with their baby, like almost happened with Violet's birth. It wasn't as if he didn't love the third baby, he was just scared and she understood.

Juvia was scared too. She wanted to see all of their three perfectly healthy children reach adulthood, wanted to see them get married and she would want to have grandkids. But she wasn't going to sacrifice a child for more years.

"It is taking more time, yes." Her husband answered returning his gaze towards their children. Juvia noticed that he clenched his hand to a fist.

"Gray-sama, this is _not_ a countdown." Juvia reminded him, gently, putting a hand over his fist. "The baby and I will probably be fine."

"I hope so." He whispered.

"Do you remember what we talked about?" The blue haired woman asked, calm.

"I will love the child even if you die, Juvia." Gray snapped at her and she flinched, moving her hand away; he immediately looked regretful. "I'm sorry. I am nervous, I don't sleep and you are at the final days of the pregnancy."

His wife returned her hand to be on top of his. "It is alright, love." Juvia said. "Everything will be alright."

The Count grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles, staring right at her in a way she learned that meant _I love you_ and he had been giving it to her for years and she never understood until he actually told her the words.

She smiled. "Yes, I love you too."

**#**

No one was more surprised that she gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy with no complications other than Juvia. She didn't want to die, but she didn't harbor any illusions about her condition and the probability of surviving a birth after almost dying in the previous one.

But there she was, with a small boy (this time with a bunch of black hair), whom had all his ten fingers and toes, a perfectly shaped mouth like her husband's and nose like hers.

When Gray entered the room with Ulrich by his side and Violet in his arms, Juvia couldn't hold it anymore and let tears fall freely.

"Why Mummy sad?" Violet touched her father's face to get him to pay attention to her.

"I am not sad, sweetheart." Juvia answered and saw Gray put the little girl by her side on the bed while Ulrich went to stay by the other. "Mummy is just so happy that she is crying."

"Oh." The girl nodded and her curls bounced, a moment later her attention was focused on the sleeping baby on her mother's arms. "What is _that_?" The little girl asked in disgust for the unknown thing.

Gray chuckled, picking Violet from the bed and sitting on her previous spot with her on his lap. "Your brother, Violet."

The small blue haired girl stared at the newest member of their family. "It is ugly."

Ulrich rolled his eyes. "You looked like that, V."

Violet gasped in indignation. "Did not."

"Did too." Ulrich snorted and showed his tongue to his sister.

"Did not! Mummy!" The girl stared up to her mother.

Gray intervened. "That's enough, you two, or your brother will wake up." Violet sighed and then quickly showed her tongue to Ulrich. "Vi, stop it."

She looked up to him and smiled the way she knew he couldn't resist – she looked too much like her mother. "Sorry, daddy." The man couldn't help but to smile back.

Juvia chuckled with the interaction. "What do you think we should name him, kids?"

"Kyle." Violet nodded as if the problem was solved.

"Stupid name." Ulrich complained. "Something scary like… Thunder."

"We are _not_ naming your bother Thunder, Ulrich." Gray rolled his eyes at his son's idea.

"Fine." The boy pouted.

"We can decide it later." Juvia said softly and heard the children start to discuss the possibilities for the newborn's name as she looked up to look at her husband. He was staring down to her, his eyes shining with unshed tears and he quickly dried his eyes.

"Sorry."

She whispered to him: "Are you so happy that you are crying too?"

He rested his forehead on hers. "Yes." She saw him close his eyes. "Thank you for giving me them. Thank you for being alive. I truly do love you."

She didn't have to say anything, but she whispered that she loved him back, tears of happiness falling again and the woman couldn't help but to feel utterly complete surrounded by the people she loved the most: her family; a family that began with a mixture of love and duty, now had evolved to be fully of love and Juvia didn't regret a single decision that led her to that specific moment.

Juvia Lockser decided that she would _never_ get married and she was glad that life didn't go at all as she predicted.

**#**

**AN:** Yes, Gajeel stole Levy from a convent because… I don't know. He seems the type to deprave innocent novices.

Well, here it is. The largest One-Shot/Chapter I've _ever_ written.

(Juvia changed her way to talk to Gray from "Lord" to "-sama" after they got married just to become something more intimate. And she talked much less in third person because Grandmama would've make her stop it as she was growing up.)

In all, I hope you enjoyed the read. Thanks, you are amazing!

03/06/2014 ~ **BonneyQ**


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